Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Larry Bird said if he were to choose any current player with whom to play, it would be Kobe Bryant over LeBron James--even though he thinks James "by far is the best player" in the NBA.

But in classic Bird fashion, he suggests Kobe would have to shoot less if the two were to be teammates, the implication being that Bird needs his shots.

"Probably Kobe, because of the fact that ... well, of course he wouldn't have been shooting as much as he does now ... but his desire to win, his dedication, to always get better, and he's just, he's just tough," Bird said on Bill Simmons’ podcast. "He's just a tough cat.”

Bird, now the Pacers president of basketball operations, added, "If you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it's Kobe. Not that LeBron's not a winner, just that (Kobe's) mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better."